What the writers are reading this summer
Who better to recommend your next read than some of the best writers around? We asked six GH favourites to each share a summer book they love and these are their choices. So set up your lounger, pour yourself a cool drink and get reading!
Queen of the dark thriller Erin Kelly is the author of nine novels, the latest of which is The House Of Mirrors, a twisty page-turner that's a must-read for fans of her 2010 bestseller The Poison Tree.
"Bridget Collins is my go-to author for lush, literary escapism. She blends gothic, historical and fantasy while always remaining totally original. The Silence Factory is about a family who discover a silk with magic properties – and the highs and lows that ensue."
Much-loved (and hilarious) memoirist and author Nina Stibbe has written seven books. If you fancy a laugh on your lounger, her latest book, Went To London, Took The Dog: The Diary of a 60-year-old Runaway, is out now in paperback.
"Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst is the brilliantly reimagined true story of a young married couple from the midlands who escape the misery of 1970s Britain by building a boat and setting sail, only to be shipwrecked by a whale and cast adrift for 118 days on the Pacific Ocean. A riveting adventure as well as a compelling examination of a marriage. Genuinely unputdownable. I loved this book so much I have given it to my mum and any friend that reads!"
Cathy Rentzenbrink is a multi-talented menmoirist, author and writing teacher. She's written several beautiful books on grief and loss, including The Last Act Of Love. Her latest novel Ordinary Time is out now.
"This summer I’ll be rereading Not That Sort of Girl by Mary Wesley. It’s a love story set over several decades that follows the relationship between Rose and Mylo from their first meeting just before the Second World War. It is beautiful, wistful, sharp and funny. Perfect for a lazy sunny day."
Stacey Halls is the author of four hugely successful historical novels, including The Familiars. Her latest novel The Household, based on the real life home for fallen women set up by Charles Dickens, is out now.
"I read Brooklyn aged 19 on a girls' holiday to Croatia, and it has stayed with me ever since. Long Island is the sequel, set 25 years after the events that took Eilis Lacey across the Atlantic. She has two kids and is thinking about leaving her husband, and is back in her small Irish town. I love how Toibin writes so simply yet powerfully; all the emotion and drama is held at arm's length, but you really feel it. It is a masterpiece in character, and I loved revisiting Eilis' world."
Daisy Goodwin is a former TV producer who created Grand Designs and the hit Itv drama Victoria. She's now an author, with four novels to her name. Her latest Diva, about the legendary opera singer Maria Callas, came out earlier this year.
"I am going to recommend The Three Graces by Amanda Craig - it's about octogenarians living in Tuscany who are determined to go out not with a whimper but a bang. It's a sparkly, deftly-plotted book which is spot on about the way that older women are underestimed. Perfect reading for a shady pergola and a glass of Prosecco!"
Catherine Gray is a Sunday Times Bestselling author who is best-known for The Joy Of Being Sober. Her debut novel, Versions of a Girl, is out now.
"This Is Fine by Poorna Bell is a beautifully written ‘will they, won’t they’ with a twist; the people we’re hooked on watching are an aunt and niece, thrown together for one summer. The main character Padma is healing from a break-up as a result of her not wanting kids, while her niece has reached her own crisis point. Set in a seaside village, unexpected help comes from unexpected places. This is a light, funny and gorgeous - but also at times gritty and profound - summer read which I am loving."
New York Times best-seller Ruth Ware has written nine thrillers. Her latest is One Perfect Couple, perfect for fans of The Traitors.
'I'm currently reading Colin Walsh's Kala - flashing back and forth between summer 2018 and 2003, it's a story of friendship, first love and obsession, and of a long shadow hanging over a small Irish town. It's the perfect read for hot summer days and dark nights.'
Viv Groskop is a modern day Renaissance woman, with writer, comedian, playwright and broadcaster on her CV. Her latest memoir is One Ukrainian Summer, about her study year abroad when she was 21.
"I loved My Family And Other Rock Stars by Tiffany Murray. This is a wonderfully nostalgic, wide-eyed and funny 1970s memoir about what it’s like when your mum is the chef to the stars at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, the place where Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody. Lemmy from Motörhead and David Bowie are not big eaters but cordon bleu chef Joan cooks up a storm for Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and dozens more 'half-naked male musicians'. A fabulous evocation of the ultimate hippie childhood and of a more innocent age."
Journalist Jo Leevers published her debut novel, Tell Me How This Ends, last year and it went on to be a BBC Radio 2 Book Pick. The Last Time I saw You is her second book and is out now.
"I loved Sandwich by Catherine Newman, which is just out. 50-something Rocky and her family have decamped to Cape Cod where she finds herself ‘sandwiched’ between the demands of her almost grown-up children and her ageing parents. I lost count of the number of times I wanted to shout, ‘Yes, exactly this’ as Rocky documents everything from menopause brain to ‘embarrassing mum’ moments. But, as the week progresses, the humour is never far from heartache and Catherine Newman delivers both with a velvet-glove punch.
I think the only way to survive the chilling intensity of Night Watching by Tracy Sierra is to read it on a lounger in the blazing sun. During a snowstorm, a mother senses an intruder in her house and hides herself and her children inside a secret cubbyhole. Tracy Sierra captures claustrophobia and fear perfectly, but also explores the myriad ways in which women are frightened, intimidated and judged in daily life, making this a compelling and haunting read."
Georgina Moore is an award-winning publicist and the author of summer bestseller The Garnett Girls. She's currently working on her second novel The Walnut Tree which is out next year.
"Girls by Kirsty Capes has everything I want in a novel. Family drama, emotional damage and characters you are rooting for. It's a brilliant study of fame, addiction and what it is like to live in the shadow of a star. It’s not just a literary family saga that will appeal to fans of Meg Mason and Claire Lombardo but also a road trip novel and the American landscape reflects back the emotions of Mattie and Nora as they try to make sense of their past. Bold and brilliant and moving."
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